


You Did Not Break Me

by TVDramaQueen



Series: There's Only 2 Ways Out Of Here [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: 2012, Divorce, Falling In Love, First Kiss, M/M, Physical Abuse, break ups, domestic abuse, roosterteeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-13 15:50:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3387461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVDramaQueen/pseuds/TVDramaQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>3 Stories about the couples of Roosterteeth. Goes from heart break to true love in seconds. If you blink you might miss it.<br/>None of this is actually true even though it may sound real it is not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gavin & Michael

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter is based on my story of how Mavin would have gotten together. In the second chapter I'll do Joelay and then the third will Ramwood. I'm also going to do a few separate squeals and parts to do with RT and AH. There may be some things in this story that can cause triggers so don't read if that bothers you.

Michael came to Roosterteeth in 2011 and was really excited for his new job. He was sad he left his friends and family behind in New Jersey but Ray, his best friend, had told him he dissevered the opportunity and should go to Texas. And he was right it was amazing and he loved working there. Geoff and Jack treated him just like family right away and so did the other employees. The fans also took a liking to his work amazingly fast and he was just grateful for all the opportunities.

In January 2012 Geoff came into their office talking about a new employee coming to work for them. His buddy, Gavin Free. He was from England and apparently had done some work with Roosterteeth before, mostly for RVB but a little bit of stuff with Geoff as well. Michael thinks he’s heard of him before and when he asks Brandon about it he shows him an old AHWU Gavin had appeared in and recognizes the face quickly as one of the guys from Slow Mo Guys.

Geoff tells him that’s what Gavin also does but it’s hard for it to be his full time job with Dan being in the army part time. He also tells Michael he’s staying with Geoff but would like him to come over for a barbeque before the lad comes to work. To help welcome Gavin and make sure he feels comfortable.

Gavin comes and Michael and he are instantly friends. Michael finds him seriously fun to mess with and Gavin just enjoys the attention and having Michael give it to him lights him up.

Lindsay and Michael start dating a few weeks later but she isn’t one of those asshole girl friends and lets him spend plenty of time with Gavin when he wants. They still have lunch together almost every day and they even offer to give Gavin rides home when Geoff leaves without him. Lindsay says it’s funny how much the Brit is attached to him even after only knowing each other for a short period of time. Michael just says it was fate for them to become friends.

When Ray moves to Austin to come work at Roosterteeth he’s a little shy at first. Michael decides that Gavin and him would make good friends and right away arranges some time for them to hang out. Gavin’s always lively and bubbly and he thinks that he can bring Ray out of his shell before Geoff regrets hiring such a quiet guy. It works out pretty well actually and soon Gavin has two lovely boys to hang off of not to mention Geoff at home.

During the summer Gavin goes back to England quite often and Ray and Michael spend most of the summer in Austin or Jersey with Lindsay. He helps Ray find his own apartment and spends most of the rest of the time working and hanging out with Lindsay. Once Gavin’s back the pair is instantly inseparable again, everyone making their Mavin jokes as usual.

He, Geoff and Gavin decide to hit a bar one night and Michael thinks being Gavin’s best friend he should help wingman him a bit. The lad hasn’t had any girls around since he’s been here and no matter how hard he’s tried he and Barbara are still claiming there ‘just friends’. After the first girl turns him down Michael finds him another one at the bar and lies that he’s hitting the bog so the two can talk and climbs back into they’re both beside Geoff.

When he looks back Gavin seems like he’s striking out again.

“Damn it I’m going to really have to teach him some moves or something. His game is just awful. Is he like this every night?” Michael says to Geoff

“Dude, Gavin’s gay. Didn’t you know that?” Geoff replies

“Wait what?”

“Gavin’s into dudes. He’s even got a thing with a guy back in England.” Geoff tells him picking at the label on his beer. “Did he not tell you?”

Michael shakes his head “You think he would. Were best friends! And he knows I’m okay with it because of Ray.”

It was true Ray was pretty openly into guys. He didn’t like parade it around or anything just he never hid the fact he had boyfriends like Gavin seemed to be doing. He was pretty hurt Gavin didn’t trust him enough to tell him.

He doesn’t bring it up to Gavin but stops trying to set him up and keeps the dating talk to a low minimum.

Michael and Lindsay get engaged over Christmas in Jersey. Gavin is super happy for them when they get back and even offers to buy drinks the next night. They all go out and have a good time and Gavin is especially handsy and Michael couldn’t care less. It’s only a day later when Ray comes over to watch ‘It’s Always Sunny’ with him he finds out something. Ray tells him Gavin and Dan Grunchy, the other slow mo guy, are officially dating now. Before they had just been sleeping together and fooling around but Gavin told Ray there actually a couple now. He also told Ray he was finally going to tell Michael he was gay but when Ray asked why he hadn’t till now Gavin started blushing like crazy, which was weird in many ways.

Gavin does tell him. And Michael tells him he won’t tell anyone who Gavin doesn’t want knowing. It’s only Geoff, Ray, Griffon, Burnie, Gus, Joel and Barbara that know he’s dating Dan and into guys so he definitely wants to keep it on the down low. He doesn’t even tell Lindsay, because he really doesn’t want to hurt his friendship with Gavin at all.

Even with a new boyfriend and Michael now being engaged the Mavin teasing and flirting does not stop. Gavin doesn’t really seem bother by the fact there still doing it, he enjoys it just as much as before so Michael let’s it happen. He won’t admit it but he looks forward to playing games with Gavin where they flirt like teenagers. He’s not really sure why but he does.

Dan comes down to Austin in April till September to work on slow mo guys with Gavin. It’s the whole summer, and Michael’s pretty disappointed his time with Gavin is going to get cut. At least he and Lindsay can get a lot of wedding planning done in that time. He spends some time with Gavin and Dan the first week he’s there but he doesn’t really get the greatest vibe off him. He’s kind of cocky and a little bit of a dick and his face doesn’t seem like a face of a nice guy.

He doesn’t say anything about how he isn’t a fan of Dan and hopes his actions aren’t showing it either, at least to Gavin. It would probably upset him if he didn’t try to be friends with his best buddy’s boyfriend. It’s one day when he and Geoff are the only two left in the office, Gavin and Dan leaving seconds before, that someone says something.

“I know you don’t like Dan.” Geoff says not looking away from where he’s building in MineCraft “It’s extremely obvious.”

Michael doesn’t say anything because he has no way to defend himself. Then Geoff turns around to look at him.

“I don’t like him either, don’t worry.”

Michael sighs in relief. He thought he was getting in trouble about this but now Geoff’s admitting he doesn’t get the greatest vibe off him either.

“I don’t like even having him staying under my own roof. Even if he is in the guest house. Don’t worry your secrets safe with me.”

The problem is though, Michael isn’t really sure why he so jealous and appalled by Dan. He’s probably a really nice guy and just because he wants to spend time with Gavin doesn’t mean he should hate him. They’ve know each other longer anyways.

But

It’s driving him nuts and at work now he’s purposely trying to get Gavin to spend more time with him or for Dan and Gavin to double date with him and Lindsay. Gavin doesn’t seem to notice the sudden act by Michael and actually agrees to tell Lindsay he and Dan are dating so they can double date. He says double dating with Geoff and Griffon isn’t as great because there such an old married couple. Michael can’t really ever imagine his future with Lindsay being like that, he’s always thought they would be exciting and fun. He can’t actually really still even imagine being married and having kids with Lindsay. He’s not really sure how Geoff does it.

They start spending a lot more time with Gavin and Dan and a lot more time at the Ramsey’s hanging out. Ray even comes one time, even though he knows he’s third wheeling but was still happy for the invite. Gavin seems happy as hell having Michael around all the time again. He even invites him to come watch them film a slow mo guys before RTX.

In June Gavin and he are alone wrestling in the Achievement Hunter office while everyone else is out for lunch over some batteries for their Xbox controllers when Gavin winces in pain. He thinks maybe he grabbed his wrist a little too hard but when Gavin pulls away his hoodie sleeve rides up and there are some huge black bruises on his arm and wrist. When Michael looks back up at Gavin he immediately pulls his arm away from Michael and tries to cover it with his sleeve. Michael doesn’t know what to say and he knows he doesn’t have to ask who did that.

Gavin doesn’t say anything and walks out of the office after that. He comes back when Ray and Jack are also in the office so he doesn’t get asked about it from Michael. He pretends nothing happened and tries to get Gavin to talk to him again. He does but he can tell Gavin’s worried now that Michael’s going to say something to Geoff or Burnie or something.

He tells no one though because is a good friend like that. He decides though if he sees anymore bruising he’s going to kill Dan.

Gavin is still kind of quiet and fidgety the next few days at work. When Jack says something about it to Geoff while Gavin’s out in the hall talking to Barbara, Geoff says he’s been weird at home too, mostly hanging in the guest house with Dan. Michael really wants to say something and he can tell Ray can see him repressing it. Ray knows him to well.

After work when he’s back at the apartment playing GTA he gets a text from Ray asking if he knows what’s up with Gavin. He really shouldn’t but he says he knows what’s wrong but at least he doesn’t break all the rules and doesn’t state what he saw. Ray doesn’t ask, assuming Michael is handling it on his own.

Boy was he wrong.

On Monday of the next week Gavin comes into work with a black eye and a fat lip. He looks like he got the shit kicked out of him. Everyone notices, even though he’s trying to hide it with his hood pulled up. Geoff goes into complete dad mode and starts asking who did it and if it was Dan how he’s going to kick his ass. Griffon offers to go get him some ice and to help clean up his lip. Burnie and Jack both go to dial the police and Michael just wants to hug him but instead helps Griffon get the ice pack. When he comes back into the kitchen Gavin’s sitting on one of the chairs looking down at his lap ignoring the interrogation from Geoff and playing with the hem on the sleeves of his sweater. All Michael keeps thinking is how he should have told Geoff the first time.

Gavin sees him come in and he looks like a kicked puppy. Broken and bruised and Michael’s heart aches. Geoff’s still trying to find out what exactly happened so he knows Gavin’s telling the truth when the cops come but he won’t say anything.

“Maybe we should just let him be, at least until the police get here.” Michael says. Geoff doesn’t really seem to agree but Burnie from where he was standing tells Gavin he can go lie down in the closet with the mattress that staff members used to always nap in, especially RVB and RWBY animators.

Geoff goes with him but he promises he’ll let him relax and help him ice his eye. Michael still almost in shock. He hasn’t even threatened to kill Dan once. Ray pulls him aside to his desk when he comes back into the office while Ryan has his head phones on while editing.

“You know you’re going to have to get it out of him.” He whispers even though they both know Ryan can’t hear them.

“He’s never going to tell me Ray! He won’t even tell Geoff.”

“You don’t understand do you? You mean more to him than anyone else at this company, even Geoff. You’re literally the only person he ever talks about and he puts you before himself even. He’ll tell you.”

Michael knows Ray’s always been an observer. He get’s up and leaves there office and heads over to the closest where he finds Geoff holding the ice pack to Gavin’s eye in silence and darkness. He crouches down in front of the mattress and in front of Gavin and strokes his hand down his face to get his attention.

“What did he do?”

Gavin explains what happened. How he and Dan were talking about Dan’s weird cross eyed chicks obsession when Gavin brought up he had a thing for a coworker. They were just fooling around and he didn’t think Dan would take him seriously but instead he freak out and started screaming at him that he was going to cheat on him. Gavin didn’t really appreciate the tone he was using and got up to go into the house with Geoff and Griffon to give Dan a little space to cool off but Dan grabbed him by the arm and forcefully pulled him back and locked the inside of the shed so Gavin wouldn’t leave. He didn’t tell Dan who is was though and he let it go after that night. He never apologized however which had really upset Gavin because when he and Michael roughhoused and Michael hurt him in the slightest he always apologized and offered to make it up to Gavin and they weren’t even dating. At this point in the story Gavin’s eyes started to water a bit but he continued. He explained that how on Sunday night when Geoff and Griffon said they were going to bed early since Millie had a birthday party to attend the next day Dan decided they were going to discuss this coworker thing again. Gavin told him he had nothing to worry about but when he said that Dan realized who he was talking about. He struck Gavin in the face when he pretended it wasn’t true and when Gavin went to scream for help he hit him 3 more times and pushed him to the floor.

Gavin was sobbing now and Michael pulled him into a hug. He was so angry now, not even caring that Gavin admitted he was into someone at their work. He wanted to stab Dan until there was nothing left to stab and throw his remains in the ocean. Geoff looked in shock beside them but now at least he knew so he could help tell the police. There was no way Dan was staying with them any longer.

Gavin talked to the cops in Burnie’s office with Geoff and Burnie while Barbara and Ray and Michael tried to eardrop outside the door. They can’t really hear anything because Gavin’s mumbling since he had been crying and Geoff keeps interrupting trying to re-explain what Gavin had said earlier. Finally the cops exit the office and Burnie comes out and tells them all to go back to work.

Michael can’t think straight the rest of the day and get’s zero work done. Ryan and Ray film a few commentary and Jack edit’s some stuff on the site but mostly the office isn’t really feeling it without Gavin. Geoff comes back in around 4:30 to upload the GTA let’s play on the site and YouTube and then tells the guys he’s taking Gavin home for the night.

The next day he and Gavin don’t come in until around 10. Gavin’s face looks a lot better, much less swollen. The record a let’s play and then Geoff goes with Ryan and Jack for lunch. Ray is practically asleep at his desk so Michael knows its okay to talk to Gavin then. He turns his chair to look at where Gavin’s sitting and taps his knee. He turns to looks at Michael and smiles even though his face looks broken and hurt.

“Do you want to come over tonight? Help get your mind off things?” Michael asks

Gavin nods. He could always use an escape from something like this and Michael’s sure Geoff’s place isn’t a very friendly reminder of the situation.

After work they walk back to Michael’s together and mostly talk about video games. Lindsay had to stay and work on RWBY stuff so Michael left the car for her. When they get back to Michael’s they play Saint’s Row for awhile and then Michael starts to get hungry and decides they’ll order a pizza and watch a movie. He gets up to take a piss before calling while Gavin sets up Netflix when he hears the door open. He assumes it’s just Lindsay when all of a sudden Dan is grabbing him by the collar of the shirt and pulling him off the couch.

Gavin screams alarming Michael from washing his hands and he comes flying out of the bathroom. Dan doesn’t notice, still just about to slam Gavin into the wall and Michael comes up behind him and socks him in the back of the head. From there the two start to punch and kick at each other while Gavin goes running for Michael’s phone to call Geoff for help. Michael knocks Dan out with a hard hit and he stands up in shock of what just happened.

Geoff and the police show up and once Dan is conscious they take him in there custody. Michael’s got a broken nose a badly split lip so they send him in the ambulance that had been called for an emergency to the hospital. Gavin asks Geoff is they can go too, and with the worry in his face Geoff knows he really needs to go with his boy so he agrees to take him up to the hospital. Lindsay beats them there, worried sick about Michael but also glad he stuck up for Gavin. Gavin gives him a huge hug and a huge thank you for what he did for him, saying he’ll never be able to repay him for saving him.

Michael comes in to work the next day and fines out from Jack that Dan had charges pressed on him and is heading back to England this afternoon and the Slow Mo Guys shoot is canceled for now. Michael’s pretty relieved by that. He still can’t wrap his head around why but he is.

Later that night when he’s in bed trying to sleep it all comes to him. The flirting, always wanting to be together, being jealous of Dan, hating when he would go to England. He was in love with Gavin. He wanted to marry Gavin and have a family with him. That’s why he couldn’t picture it with Lindsay. All he wanted was to go to sleep every night with him in his arms. And how Ray said he meant everything to Gavin, could he be that coworker? Gavin and he are meant to be and he finally can clearly see this.

He doesn’t say anything to Lindsay, not yet, not until he knows for sure Gavin feels the same. He knows this is going to break her hear but would she rather be married to a miserable man who’s in love with another person?

He invited Gavin to his apartment for lunch, tells him he cleaned up the mess from yesterday and Gavin happily agrees. They get back and Michael makes them sandwiches and they watch Adventure Time since it’s really the only thing on and Michael like’s the show. There half way through the episode, food finished and pushed to the side, laughing and enjoying each other’s company when Michael leans in a kisses him. He doesn’t know why, he was just going to ask him if he was really into him or not but it just felt so right and in the moment and Gavin is kissing back and it’s amazing. They keep kissing till it get’s frantic and Gavin pulls back. Not very far back though because their foreheads are still rested together. He looks into Michael’s eyes for an answer.

“I love you.” Michael blurts out. Smooth he thinks to himself.

“I love you too.” Gavin almost whispers, like he’s not sure if Michael was serious or not.

“I mean it Gavin. I want to be with you. I’ll leave Lindsay; I’ll do anything I’m so in love with you.”

Gavin kisses him again.


	2. Michael & Gavin Part 2

He breaks up with Lindsay about a week later. She absolutely breaks down in tears, cursing out Gavin and asking why he strung her on for so long. She doesn’t believe him when he tells her the truth, about how he never realized it until now. She tells him to keep the apartment and she’ll go stay with Kara or Miles until she can find her own. He calls Gavin after she leaves but doesn’t invite him over because he feels that’s a little harsh to Lindsay.

They start dating but Gavin doesn’t want to tell people right away. So they keep things quite the same with playful office flirting and such but Gavin goes over to Michael every night after work. Geoff thinks there together but he feels bad to ask so he tires his best to let things be and trusts if there was something Gavin needed to tell him he would.

Eventually one day when it’s just the three of them in the office after a long GTA let’s play Gavin turns around and tells Geoff he wants to share some good news. He tells him he and Michael are together now, Michael trying to act appropriate, almost trying to impress Geoff. Geoff’s okay with it really because he knows it’s what’s going to make Gavin happiest and he only threatens Michael once to kill him in the entire conversation. Gavin’s pretty giddy after and keeps trying to hug Geoff after but he just tackles him to the ground.

Gavin has to go back to England in September to work on a film he was asked to help produce. Michael doesn’t want him to go though, there relationship pretty fresh and new, but he has too. He promises he’ll keep away from Dan though it doesn’t make Michael feel much better remembering he’s out there. He drives Gavin to the airport and holds on for dear life when they hug good bye at the gate. He really doesn’t want him to go. He ends up spending the rest of the afternoon with Ray. They go to a movie and then on the drive back to their apartment complex Michael tells him about him and Gavin. Ray seriously hadn’t had a clue, just like most of the office hasn’t so far except Geoff and he’s really glad for Michael.

While Gavin’s in England however he isn’t really keeping much contact with anyone at Roosterteeth. Michael keeps bringing it up during Let’s Play’s and other video’s about how Gavin’s gone and how he wishes he’d come home. He doesn’t admit it’s because he misses the Britt, blaming it on work reasons. Ryan asks Ray a few days after the latest AWHU where Michael had brought it up again if something was going on between the two. Ray doesn’t really think it’s a big deal and tells Ryan that the two are together but Michael walks in as he saying it and he gets a rage lecture out of him about respecting Gavin’s wishes. He knows he just missed Gavin too much so he’s over reacting.

Everyone starts to put things together when Lindsay changes her Facebook page from ‘engaged’ to ‘single’. Then the day after that someone from Gavin’s movie crew in England posts a video doing an informal interview with him and he quotes ‘I love my little Michael, with all my heart’.

When he finally comes back he and Michael take the day off to spend together. Gavin tells Michael how much fun he had and then spoils him with all the sex he wants. It’s pretty awesome.


	3. Ray & Joel

Ray and Joel had never really spent all that much time together with the company expect for the odd moment when he would come wandering into their office to bother Jack or the few times Geoff would ask them to do a quick video commentary together but really they weren’t as close as Ray was with some of the others in Achievement Hunter.

Ray came to Austin a year after him and his now ex boyfriend Dylon had broken up. It was an awful moment from Ray’s life that he never really was able to get over. They were inseparable, even in different countries. They knew what they had could be fragile with the distance but they made it work, or so Ray thought. 2 years after they started dating Dylon started seeing a girl behind his back. He didn’t find out until he saw him tagged in a tweet of said girl holding up a pregnancy test, saying the two were expecting. Ray was absolutely furious and broke up with Dylon and swore he would never talk to him again. He was pretty damaged after that, having major trust issues with everyone but Michael.

Michael was always going to be his best friend and he did what best friends do and helped get him a job at RT. Ray was extremely thankful, always had been a fan of their YouTube channel. Ray started working for them and he made some friends a lot faster than he had expected and finally the fact that his first love having a secret life behind his back slowly faded away to the back of his mind.

Fast forward to present day where Ray again was suffering through watching Gavin and Michael swoon all over each other he sighed and got up to take a bathroom break when he ran into Joel. Like literally ran into him because he’s a pretty bug dude. They both immediately apologized to each other and went their separate ways both blushing like teenagers. He always thought Joel was a really good looking guy but when he had asked Jack why he was still single he had found out Joel wasn’t really great at keeping himself interested with girls. He didn’t mind the age difference even if others did. He feels like Joel wouldn’t either.

He never really explored his attraction though because he wasn’t sure how Joel would react. He may not be into guys and it would suck to be turned down like that. And even if he was into guys Jack said he loses interest fast and Ray wasn’t planning on being cheated on again anytime soon.

He’s also pretty shy so it would take him forever to get the guts to even ask Joel out. He wishes he could be more like Gavin, but not in the brains because he’s not the smartest.

He doesn’t see Joel again for a few weeks but right around Christmas he’s sitting at his desk scrolling redit when he enters. He’s wearing one of his huge hoodies again. They always make Ray wish they were dating, just so he could wear one for awhile. They look softer then the sheets on his bed.

Joel says something to Jack and then Ray feels a tap on his shoulder and when he turns to look Joel’s standing right there.

“Hey, so, um... I know we don’t really hang out, much or ever... but maybe want to like... I don’t know... grab a beer or get a burger or something?”

Ray is so shocked and confused he just nods.

“Cool, so I think I know where your apartment is... I’ll come get you at 7?”

Ray just nods again. He’s totally blushing.

When Joel leaves Jack starts laughing and teasing him about going on a date with Joel, and to make sure he treats him right, and to use protection. Ray can’t stop blushing though because he’s only ever been on dates with one guy and most of them were over Skype or the phone.

Joel picks him up at exactly 7. He knows because he stares out the window until Joel arrives because he’s so nervous he might piss his pants and can’t settle himself down. He takes a ton of deep breaths in the elevator and then gets into Joel’s car where they small talk until there at some sports bar/restraunt. The conversation isn’t great, mostly first date stuff. Ray’s still not even sure if it is a date. Jack said it was, it feels like it is, he’s so fucking nervous they could call this a high school date if they wanted too. After their done eating and Joel’s done his beer they head out. Joel holds the door open for him as they leave and the door to his car as well and Ray just has to ask.

“Was this a date?” He says once Joel’s buckled into his seat.

“Did you not want it to be?”

“I think it should be a date.” Ray says, almost like he’s decided for himself. Joel laughs at this and shoves him slightly.

“I think it should be too.” He agrees. There both smiling as he pulls out of the parking lot.

Joel doesn’t tell anyone there dating at first because he doesn’t think he should until he knows if their boyfriends or not. They’ve never called each other that, which he knows of anyways, but there definitely dating in some way. Ray comes over and they watch movies and then he usually spends the night, they go out for dinner and lunches all the time, they even went to the movies with Jack and Caiti.

It’s a Friday afternoon when Adam comes into the office holding up 6 playoff football tickets in his hand.

“2 of them are you’re if you want them.” He tells Joel. He says Jack’s going to bring Caiti and Kara’s a huge football fan so she’s coming as well. He doesn’t know if he’s implying for him to bring a date and he remembers Ray is pretty into football.

So Ray comes to the game. And Joel’s pretty sure everyone knows that’s his hoodie Ray’s wearing. He doesn’t care; fuck the age difference Ray makes him super happy. At some point Caiti and Kara go to get drinks and while Ray and Adam are talking about something that happened at the office early during the week Jack taps Joel on the shoulder and asks through lip sync if there dating or not. Joel shrugs but then Ray’s head kind of leans on his shoulder like he wants to cuddle so he puts his arm around him more comfortably. Jack snorts and lip syncs back an okay and turns back to the cheerleaders on the field.

Burnie seems pretty concerned though when he sees Ray and Joel kiss in the kitchen the next Monday. He pulls Joel into his office as soon as Ray exits the area and starts talking legal stuff and how this could affect the company and what if things go wrong. He’s pretty sure Gavin and Michael never got this speech so he’s kind of upset that Burnie’s just decided that he’s going to fuck up this relationship up like he does with most. If he’s honest he thinks they could make this work, even long term. Though Joel isn’t huge on marriage he doesn’t think he would mind marrying Ray.

Finally Burnie lets him go after warning him he could involve Matt in this. He thinks having Matt in this might make it better, Matt usually takes his side.

He asks Ray later when they’re eating dinner if there serious. Ray says he thinks they should be and then he finally tells him about what had happened before with his ex Dylon. It makes Joel feel kind of special knowing Ray trusts him enough to share that with him. He’d share stuff like that with him any day, if he had anything to share. He tells Ray he would never hurt him like Dylon did. Ray believes him too, because Michael had said, 2 years ago, that people who you think aren’t worth your time might actually be the best things that could happen to your life. He was pretty right.


	4. Ryan & Geoff

“How did you know you were in love with Michael?”

It’s kind of a weird question coming from Geoff. Because Geoff is married to Griffon and Geoff shouldn’t need help with love because he’s been that married happy guy for years now. Gavin tells he how he realized he was in love when he first met Michael, like there was this fluttery feeling in his heart that made him want to see Michael all the time. Geoff nods and says thanks before turning back to his computer.

He likes this new office more. Because now he sits next to Ryan. Ryan makes him laugh a lot, and he always tries to entertain Geoff when he can sense the other are boring him. Plus he’s smart so Geoff doesn’t feel like he’s talking to an idiot when they talk.

Ryan and his wife get divorced right around when his daughter was born. He didn’t seem to mind, said it was time; things weren’t really working for them anymore. He has his own apartment down and still get’s to see his kids all the time which is nice. Geoff thinks if he and Griffon got divorced it would be a blood bath for custody because he would never give up his angel and she’s nasty when she wants to be.

After Ryan’s divorce though Geoff can’t stop thinking about him. And not in a friends way, in an ‘I’d love to hold your hand and make you dinner and let you hog the covers every night’ way. He never has ever been into to dudes. Not even like Joel who did in collage, stopped as an adult and now is fucking Ray. Or there dating he’s not actually 100% sure.

And Ryan’s such a flirty guy it’s not helping. Even when he doesn’t try he’s still flirting. He always makes such dirty jokes and smiles all sexy at Geoff and he just wants to wipe that smirk off his face with his own mouth.

For a while after he starts getting to take the kids again Ryan comes in tired a lot. He rubs his eyes and he yawns quite often away from the mic and Geoff feels bad. He offers Ryan to sleep an afternoon, in the supply closet that Burnie keeps the mattress in. Even at the new office he still kept his genius idea. Ryan relents and after his cat nap he thanks Geoff and offers to buy him a milkshake sometime. He knows him so well.

Gavin starts to think things are weird when Geoff offers to babysit for Ryan when his nanny falls through one day. He finds Ryan’s son, Eli, playing with some of the junk on Geoff desk when he comes in the morning while Olivia is sitting in Geoff’s lap in Ryan’s chair keeping an eye on Eli.

“Why hello there.” Gavin greets when Eli notices him coming towards them

“I’m watching them while Ryan does the patch. His nanny has the flu or some bullshit and he didn’t want to give them back to Laurie.”

Gavin understands that. She’d probably say he was unfit to take them on a regular basis.

Gavin helps babysit, because Eli thinks his face and voice are funny and it’s keeping him busy while Geoff takes care of Olivia. She just turned 1 so she is a pretty adventurous one with her new ability to walk. Ray comes in sometime after 11 and Eli wants to play with his glasses so Ray joins in the babysitting as well. He’s never really been around kids a lot except Millie at RTX and other RT events but that’s about it. Gavin’s impressed with how good he is with Eli.

Ryan comes back and takes Olivia but Eli doesn’t want to head home so he lets him stay and play with Ray a little longer. Geoff and Ryan start doing there sort of, almost flirting that happens a lot now and Gavin really needs to ask Michael what to do about this.

When they’re in bed later that night he asks Michael what to do. He doesn’t want Geoff to do something. Like leave Griffon. Unless that was what he really wanted. Gavin wasn’t really sure how he felt. The two had always been like his second set of parents here in America. But the way Geoff smiled when Ryan was around looked the same as when Michael smiled at Gavin. Michael tells him that he should ask Geoff because if there really is something going on he would tell Gavin. He also says not to worry, that Geoff and Griffon wouldn’t make things hard on him or Millie if they did split up. They’ve always been good parents like that.

Geoff & Ryan go to lunch now together almost every day, they only don’t go alone when the whole team is going out together. Gavin can’t find a chance to talk to Geoff because of this, because after work he goes home with Michael and Geoff leaves to go see his Millie.

At the beginning of March though Geoff comes into work looking like death. When Jack asks what happened he tells them the truth.

“Griffon left me.”

Gavin feels like his heart breaks a tiny bit.

When Geoff had came home Griffon and him got into a fight when she found a text on his phone to Joel saying he had feelings for Ryan and when Geoff couldn’t deign the fact that Griffon grew angrier and told him that she was staying married to someone who was in love with someone else and left. She didn’t take Millie thank god and Geoff has no clue where she went. He told Millie in the morning that mommy had already left for work and he has no idea what to tell her when he gets home. He doesn’t tell the rest of the AH guys what actually happened except for Jack and Gavin and Michael, also Burnie and Gus since there some of his closest friends.

After work he goes home and Jack and Gus stop by sometime after supper. Jack goes into the kitchen to go grab them beers and when he comes back Geoff is telling Gus that he really is in love with Ryan and that he’s probably going to ask him out. Jack is super confused because he assumed Geoff was going to try and fix his marriage but apparently he does really have strong feelings for Ryan.

Ryan would be really good for him, Geoff thinks to himself later that night. He’s smart and always doing the safer thing like not drinking or always putting his family first. He feels like he could quit drinking for Ryan, because he knows Ryan doesn’t like how much he drinks. Just thinking that is too couply that Geoff thinks he may be too head over heels.

Ryan and he kiss outside the office a few days later. They had just finished chasing Gavin around again after he had done something that pissed Ryan off, Ray filming behind them. Once Ryan got him back Gavin and Ray headed back inside the building to go finish what they had both been editing and when Ryan went to go inside as well Geoff grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him in for a kiss.

It’s kind of sloppy because of the surprise but the second one, after they fix the angle, is 100 times better.

“What was that for?” Ryan asks when they pull away with a big smirk upon his face.

“Oh shut up. You know what that was for asshole. I’m asking you out.”

Ryan laughs and grabs his hand “Come on old man, the children are waiting for us.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading Ch 1! Follow me on tumblr @ sakuselanne.tumblr.com  
> Title to this is from the song Elastic Heart  
> Title to the series is from the song Beautiful Lasers


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